Postpartum Depression: A Metaphorical Analysis

Background: The reported incidence of postpartum depression in healthy women without a history of depression was 12%, and the prevalence was 17%. A silent health crisis in America is the undiagnosed and untreated mental health of women related to childbirth. Unfamiliar with medical terminology, persons may communicate more effectively by means of metaphors to describe what they are experiencing. Aims: To examine the language women used to describe their experiences of postpartum depression with metaphors that can provide a valuable source of insight for psychiatric nurses and other clinicians. Methods: Secondary qualitative data analysis of three primary datasets of postpartum depression was conducted. Metaphor identification procedure was the approach used to analyze the texts for metaphorical expressions. Results: Eleven metaphors were identified that women used to help explain their postpartum depression: being hit by a ton of bricks, being a tightrope walker, living in a nightmare, feeling trapped, being in the middle of the sea, feeling like an alien, being a loner, being a basket case, having cobwebs in the brain, feeling like garbage, and hitting rock bottom. Conclusions: These 11 metaphors provide a new voice for women’s experiences of postpartum depression. As a result, they provide rich insights for psychiatric nurses and other clinicians to help identify women struggling with postpartum depression.